A plate and frame heat exchanger consists of several corrugated heat transfer plates which are clamped together between a stationary frame and a movable frame. The plates with their gaskets hang vertically from a horizontal carrying bar. To insure that the gaskets will not fall off the vertical plates during assembly and disassembly, the gaskets must be held in place prior to hanging of the plates on the carrying bar.
Heat exchanger plates are generally of two types. In one type, the gaskets are held in the gasket groove by means of a continuous line of glue. In the other type, the gaskets are held in the groove by a snap-in connection. One example of a snap-in connection is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,204.
The present invention relates to a snap-in type connection in which the gasket has integral tabs which engage in sub-grooves outside of the main gasket groove in the plate.
In accordance with the construction described hereinafter, the heat exchanger plate has an elongated main groove spaced inwardly from an edge of the plate. A plurality of sub-grooves spaced apart longitudinally of the main groove extend toward the plate edge. Openings are provided in the plate which open into opposite sides of each sub-groove. A gasket of flexible, compressible material has an elongated main body portion seated in the main groove. Tabs integral with the main body portion are seated in the sub-grooves and project into the openings to provide a snap-in connection. Each sub-groove above and between the openings is unobstructed to permit the tabs to be inserted in the sub-grooves by being pressed downwardly thereinto.
The openings into each sub-groove may be formed by lancing the plate without any removal of metal.
Objects of this invention include the provision of a snap-in type connection which has the foregoing features, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which will permit the intermixing of the plates of this invention with existing plates having glued gaskets.